Burying Mantid

Sphodropoda tristis

Biology

Burying Mantid (Sphodropoda tristis)The Burying Mantid usually hunts close to the ground in open forest and woodland in Queensland and New South Wales. The female digs a small pit in the ground in which to lay eggs and then refills the hole.

Identification

Length about 60 mm. This grey-brown mantid is thick-set compared to the Garden Mantid. It has full-length wings that extend to the tip of the abdomen. The forewings are mottled, usually with a central black and white patch.

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